Welcome to Careers in the Operating Room or Theatre Index!

Here you can find out about different jobs relating to the operating room and the people working there. Sometimes it might be different to what you think!
(Jobs not linked are currently being worked on)

- Indicates a person's Life on the Job - a page dedicated to this person and activities for you to complete.

Cameo - these are short LOTJs without their own dedicated page or activities

Name (Links to On the Job pages)	Job Description
Anaesthetist / Anesthesiologist	Anaesthetists are Medical Doctors or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine who are responsible for administering anesthesia—a combination of pain medicine, sedatives and paralytic drugs—that keep patients from waking up or feeling pain during the operation. Anaesthetists often oversee other anesthesiology team members, like * Anaesthesiologist Assistants (AAs), * Certified registered nurse anaesthetists (CRNAs), * Anesthesia technologists or anesthesia technicians.
Anaesthetic Technician (Under Anaesthetist)	Anaesthetic technicians prepare and maintain anaesthetic equipment for operating theatres and clinics, and assist anaesthetists during anaesthetic procedures.
Nurse Anaesthetist	Nurse anaesthetists form part of the perioperative team, and work alongside anaesthetists to provide safe and effective patient care during surgical procedures. Their responsibilities include preparing the patient for anaesthesia, monitoring their vital signs during the procedure, administering medications, and maintaining a safe and sterile environment.  Anaesthetic nurses also play a vital role in the recovery phase, ensuring the patient is safe and comfortable as they wake up from the anaesthesia.
Cardiac Perfusionist	Cardiac perfusionists can go by many names, including perfusion technologists, certified clinical perfusionists or cardiopulmonary perfusionists. No matter what name a specific hospital uses, it’s certain that perfusionists play a unique role in the OR. Perfusionists are present for surgeries that require the use of the heart-lung machine, also called a bypass machine. This includes open-heart procedures and other medical procedures in which it is necessary to artificially support or temporarily replace a patient's circulatory or respiratory function. Before surgery, perfusionists study the patient’s medical history to look for any issues that might complicate the use of the heart-lung machine. During operations, perfusionists operate the heart-lung machine and any ventricular-assist devices. They are constantly watching the patient’s vitals, including arterial blood-gas levels, to ensure the patient is getting the right amount of oxygen. They can also administer blood products and routine medications to patients during surgery.
Cardiologist	Cardiologists are physicians certified to diagnose, treat and manage disorders of the cardiovascular or circulatory system - heart, arteries and veins.
Intensive Care Specialist	After surgery, patients are usually cared for in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) or ICU (Intensive Care Unit), where an anesthesia team ensures the patient wakes up safely.
Operating Room Technician	Operating Room Technicians are to prepare the operating room for surgery, set up surgical instruments and equipment, maintain sterile conditions, and monitor the patient and equipment during surgery. They may also prepare patients for surgery and transport them to and from surgery.
Operating Theatre Manager	The operating theatre manager oversees the theatre’s day-to-day operational issues. They will often manage multiple sites. Their responsibilities involve managing budgets and resources, as well as implementing risk management and health and safety policies. As well as providing professional leadership to all theatre staff, they might lead on research projects and assess, develop, and implement new evidence-based programmes of care.
Operating Theatre Team Leader .	Supporting the theatre manager, the team leader will directly lead the multidisciplinary theatre team, both professionally and clinically. Their responsibilities will involve planning and organising workload and supervising the nursing staff. They may also provide clinical advice, and ongoing training and development in the use of specialist instruments and equipment. The team leader will also oversee the maintenance of operating theatre equipment, which will include keeping on top of stock levels
Surgeon	Surgeons are doctors who are licensed to perform surgery—usually general surgery or a specific specialty. Surgeons perform the surgical procedure by using their well-tuned fine motor skills and deep medical knowledge. They can investigate disease, remove or repair damaged tissue, or make improvements to the function of an organ or structure. As you might expect, surgeons need a lot of education and training, including a Bachelor’s degree with required science prerequisites before entering medical school to become a Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). After medical school, surgeons will enter a three-to-seven-year residency. An additional fellowship is often necessary to perform specialty surgeries.

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